LDE EUROPE 7 APR 2018

The Lebanese Diaspora Energy conference for Europe will be held on the 7th of April 2018 at The Westin Paris - Vendome

The Lebanese Diaspora Energy conference for Europe will be held on the 7th of April 2018 at The Westin Paris - Vendome

Letter

Minister's Letter

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants is organizing the LDE conference 'Lebanese Diaspora Energy' in Europe on the 7th of April 2018 in Paris.
The gathering of Lebanese talents who have marked their footprint on the European continent is an opportunity to highlight the values of Lebanon, a true land of message.
Centuries ago, the Europeans gave their continent a name that originated from the Lebanese shores. Today, driven by our deepest convictions and encouraged by the countless contributions of our fellow citizens living in Europe, we come together to remind the continent that bears our name, of our commitment to our plural identity, which is steeped in tolerance, diversity and humanism.
Driven by our Lebanity, our gathering in Europe is a call that draws its strength from the roots of a story that we have in common, for an inclusive future that we will share together.
Between Lebanon and Europe, the woven cultural ties, the established economic networks and the community of destiny that brings us together, will be highlighted through the successes and the paths of individuals, whose Lebanity is the incubator of talents, and whose successes germinate, like the everlasting flowers on the terraces of the cedar country, to blossom in Europe and elsewhere.

We are waiting you to be numerous!
GEBRAN BASSIL Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants.

Program

Event's Program

09:00 - 10:00 REGISTRATION

10:00 – 11:00 OPENING CEREMONY: NATIONAL ANTHEMS, OFFICIAL SPEECHES

11:00 - 13:00 SESSION 1 (Plenary): a call to Europe’s Lebanese to put their shoulders to the wheels of Lebanon’s development project

Exactly one day following the Economic Conference for Reforms and Enterprise Development (CEDRE), the Lebanese diaspora in Europe meets to collectively reflect on the best means to contribute to human development in Lebanon. The Lebanese citizens settled in Europe are invited to invest all of their energy, especially their creative skills, their innovative talents, their technological know-how and their business expertise at the service of Lebanon’s revival. Lebanon needs today, more than ever, the energy of the Lebanese diaspora in Europe, especially given the rich experience said diaspora acquired amidst dynamic and successful European societies. The Lebanese of Europe will undoubtedly know-how to invest said experience to the benefit of “human development” in Lebanon.

13:00 – 14:30 LUNCH

The second part of the conference will be divided into 4 panels that will run in parallel. It will be an opportunity to reflect on the energy and the extra touch of “soul” the Lebanese diaspora of Europe brings into Europe. The efforts exerted by the Lebanese of Europe within their host societies reflect in their professional contributions in areas of high added value such as: (i) medicine and law; (ii) education, research and technological development; (iii) artistic creativity; and (iv) trade, management and finance. This session will create useful and necessary synergies to strengthen the Lebanese-European relations, the solidity of which depends greatly on the Lebanese diaspora.

14:30 - 16:00 PANEL 1: medicine and law

This panel will bring together physicians whose personal backgrounds demonstrate the Lebanese capacity to succeed in the medical field as well as legal experts who have left their footprints in the European legal world.The panel will highlight individual successes and achievements that contributed to the overall human progress. The commitment of these Lebanese doctors and legal experts to the service of mankind, and in particular its health and social organization, as well as their high sense of ethics, played a major role in their integration within their European host societies. Their support for Lebanon today is therefore essential; in return, they will be able to draw from their country the values and human energies they seek to guarantee their ongoing success.

14:30 - 16:00 PANEL 2: artistic creativity

The sectors of artistic creativity, design, media and cultural industry are those where the Lebanese of Europe are breaking through today. Hence, this panel will bring together Lebanese who have succeeded in these fields (creators, designers, chefs, bloggers, "influencers" ... etc.). It will highlight the importance of these industries and the influence of these Lebanese creators on their environments. The question of what fuels the creativity of these Lebanese in Europe will be at the heart of the Panel s debates, and it will become clear that the inspiration of the Lebanese seeded in the stable environment of Europe are at the heart of their creativity. In these turbulent times, Lebanon needs more than ever innovation and creativity; it will not hesitate to offer those creators a plethora of opportunities.

16:00 - 17:30 PANEL 3: education, research and technological development

Research and education are areas in which the Lebanese in Europe hold a prominent place. The number of Lebanese students pursuing their higher education in Europe bears witness to this. The number of Lebanese researchers and professors in European universities is also quite revealing. Those Lebanese of Europe, who invest themselves in education, research and the knowledge industry, thus contribute to the technological development of their host countries. Hence, this panel will bring together yesterday’s Lebanese students who became Europe’s researchers of today. These promising sectors can be a source of prosperity and development for Lebanon.

16:00 - 17:30 PANEL 4: the world of business and finance

The history of Lebanon is proof of the Lebanese ability to excel in thefield of business. Indeed, many Lebanese have established themselves on the European platform and have shined in the world of business,finance and banking. Hence, this panel will bring together several of these businesswomen and businessmen who will talk about their respective backgrounds and tell us about their success stories in Europe. The panel will also consider the creation of a cooperation network between the Lebanese diaspora in Europe, European companies and the private sector in Lebanon. Lebanon aspires to become once again a major commercial and financial platform in the region; the panelists will therefore reflect on the opportunities to be seized while contributing to this collective project.

19:30 GALA DINNER AND CLOSING CEREMONY

“Lebanon would cease to exist if it weren’t for you and us. We are Lebanon!” - H.E. Minister Gebran Bassil